Next month I'll be sharing housing in Chapel Hill with a few other low-income folks. The place is nice and recent energy bills have been fairly low. But the place is fairly old, and there is at least one major problem--a very hot attic--so I'd be interested in getting an energy audit if we could afford it. Pointers to providers would be appreciated. Apologies if this is a FAQ, but casual googling and a look at the OC extension service website found nothing. (And apologies if you find this OT, but I disagree: while the personal is not always political, these days personal energy use is very political. But feel free to point to other venues.)
Issues:
Comments
Duke Power offers a
Duke Power offers a smattering of links to energy audit services - including an online assessment.
If you're looking for a free service like Wilson, NC's or Sanford's Central Electric, I don't recall any right off the bat.
Interesting that municipally owned electric cooperatives are taking the lead on free assessments (a hint of what's in store a municipally owned network?).
I was surprised that NC GreenPower didn't have any links to resources - maybe because they're oriented towards the consumption side?
When I lived in Floria,
When I lived in Floria, Florida Power & Light provided free home energy audits for all customers along with contractors to do the work and low cost loans. There is no such program, at this time, in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. But Duke Power does have a weatherization program that is free to low-income households:
http://www.duke-energy.com/north-carolina/savings/savings-nc-weatherizat...
I do home energy audits that
I do home energy audits that will identify ways to make your home more energy-efficient, improve indoor air quality, be more self-sufficient during disasters, and incorporate alternative energy.
$75 for the first hour, $50 for ech hour after that. The site visit and report preparation usually take 2-3 hours.
Piedmont EMC (rural elec.
Piedmont EMC (rural elec. co-op serving much of OC) provides free energy audits to their customers. I don't know if they'll audit a non-customer.
They did one for me a couple of years ago and I found it to be quite extensive. They flagged a HVAC unit with the A/C portion operating less efficiently than expected. A HVAC tech then found the root cause. The early catch saved me expensive repairs later plas saving energy (and $). PEMC also adjusted the dampers on my ducts for free to balance the airflow as I liked.